Our worth is found only in Christ Jesus, and if you measure your worth by that, then that can never be taken from you. Everything else in this life can and, at death, will be stripped away. You may have much now, but one day, because of persecution, you might have nothing; you might be stripped of everything. You might be impoverished, you might be in prison, you might be put to death. If you are measuring your worth by your reputation, your acceptance by people, your possessions, your parents, or something else, you need to know that all these things will be stripped away. What the Spirit is showing us here is that our true worth can never be taken from us, because it is of a spiritual nature. We are glorying in who we are in Christ Jesus. And so, you might not be as smart as some of your classmates, but you are in no way inferior to them in your standing in the sight of God. Your worth is found in Christ, not in your intellect. Your worth is found in Christ, not in your handsomeness or beauty. Your worth is found in Christ, not in your reputation, honour, or wealth.1
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,